In a world where young ladies begin their training to become a Valkyrie as soon as they can walk, Sigrid is forced to watch in awe from the ground. She is a stable hand, tending to the mares but never given the chance to prove her capabilities on her own horse, Hestur (even if he doesn’t have wings). So she trains in secret, hoping for the opportunity to join the junior Valkyries instead of going on lunch runs. But when her kingdom is invaded, Sigrid goes against orders to help defend her home. Only she gets more than she bargained for when she witnesses a significant event in her future, possibly something that she was never meant to see. The Valkyrie´s Daughter by Tiana Warner follows Sigrid´s journey as she chases the vision to become more than just a stable hand, and perhaps even more than the legendary Valkyries she had looked up to her entire life. 

During the invasion, Sigrid overhears the enemy´s plan to capture the Eye for the Queen of Helheim, Elina. Having no time to waste, she follows the enemy Valkyrie, Miriam, to the Seer’s tower to try to stop her. During the confrontation, the Eye shows Sigrid a vision of her riding the most powerful horse in all the realms, Sleipnir, leading a team of Valkyries across Helheim. Convinced that this vision is the key to her destiny and heart’s desires to become one of them, she sneaks off to follow her path and see it through. With Miriam in towe to assist with the journey, they set off on their mission to recover the Eye and save her land. 

The Valkyrie´s Daughter, as you may have guessed, was inspired by Norse mythology. Odin, Thor, and Loki get some mentions, along with plenty of other terms that followers of the subject matter will recognize. Other than that, Warner admits her resources were a bit inconsistent and she was left to go off of the rare documentation she could find. Even so, she built a vibrant fantasy world based on lore that many are familiar with. 

While this story was mostly a fun adventure most of the way through, too many parts were slow that didn’t do much to further the plot. Sigrid and Miriam´s relationship is a classic enemies to lovers trope. While normally I wouldn’t necessarily be annoyed by a slow burn, some of the flirtatious moments between the two were redundant. This choice by Warner could be due to the fact that it is a YA novel and the main romance is queer, and teenagers of all orientations are often confused or have to work through the new feelings they develop for one another. Reading it as an adult probably leaves me less patient for these moments. 

Overall, The Valkyrie´s Daughter is only slightly better than “okay.” It wasn’t a waste of my time but I wouldn’t tell anyone to push it to the top of their reading list if they’re not an avid fan of Norse mythology. The adventure was fun, the main character is likable and relatable, and the world Warner builds is somewhat familiar. However, the slow burn wasn’t executed as well as it could have been, and seemed to distract readers from absorbing the significance of Sigrid´s journey and character growth. 

Tiana Warner joins us for a Cantina Conversation where we talk about her research process, what draws her to the fantasy genre, and plans for the next book. Keep an ear out for the interview and preorder The Valkyrie´s Daughter, available July 26.